Writer: Franz Kafka
Adaptor: Lemn Sissay OBE
Director: Scott Graham
Frantic Assembly’s latest offering brings surrealism to the stage in this worthwhile adaptation. Capturing the audience in this visually striking rendition of a classic absurd tale.
Frantic Assembly’s creative approach to theatre production and ethos of collaboration unites them with the brilliant writer/poet Lemn Sissay OBE, to deliver this new adaptation of Franz Kafka’s, Metamorphosis. Four years in the making, director Scott Graham successfully brings together all the right elements to create a wonderful interpretation.
First published in 1915, Kafka’s most famous novella tells the story of fabric salesman Gregor Samsa (Felipe Pacheco), working tirelessly to pay of his family’s debts. Gregor’s inexplicable metamorphosis into some kind of vermin ends the family reliance on him as the primary breadwinner throwing them into turmoil and financial hardship.
The bodily transformation, the centre point of the story, is perfect for physical theatre. Most commonly associated is Steven Berkoff’s adaptation, recognisable for its mime and strong visual presentation. The messages and meanings found within this tale has inspired many discussions around its interpretation satisfying Kafkas’s aim to challenge and question the moral and ethical themes in which his work touches upon.
The hybridity of the concepts Kafka presents is brought to life throughout the course of this performance, you’re breathing in its ideas through a Frantic Assembly lens. Absurd, bold, and brave. The foundations of which are within the binary opposites, rich/poor, internal/external, girls/boys, dream/reality, beggars/choosers.
Gregor and his sister Grete (wonderfully portrayed by Hannah Sinclair Robinson) simultaneously exist, and transform throughout the play. Playful Grete has room to aspire about her future, admiring the pictures of fashion models, enjoying the beauty of life. Whereas Gregor life is burdened by the family’s reliance on him to pay off debts. This production gives us more insight into Grete as she navigates her own metamorphosis from little girl to young woman.
The challenges of Gregor’s changing condition tests the rest of the family as they’re thrown into financial instability and fear of becoming poor (“beggars”). We ‘re treated to some superb performances from the Father (strong performance from Troy Glasgow) and Mother (the watchable Louise Mai Newberry), they’re storytelling is engaging and amusing.
The shift between the horror, denial and then acceptance of Gregor’s condition is seen through each character’s arc as they’re burdened by their protection of Gregor (“harbouring a monster”), and the worry about money. The Chief Clerk/Lodger (both roles brilliant played Joe Layton) represents the harsh rat race reality of the external world and societal cruel attitudes towards those too sick to work, like Gregor, a vermin to society, at danger of succumbing to infestation.
The flow of consciousness and its relationship with the external through the passage of time brings moment of allusion and magic, especially during the quick scene transitions. Sissay’s prose is a delight, creating a world beyond the structure we see on stage. At times non – linear, adding elements of surrealism, contrasted with repetitive dialogue which perhaps reflects the monotony of working life.
Simisola Majekodunmi’s stark lighting allows for the formation of shadows which loom over Gregor’s bedroom, eventually reflecting the distortion of his physicality. Pacheco’s transformation is mesmerising, using effective contortion and movement to enable the audience to imagine its true vulgarity. The brilliance in creativity and inventiveness in how Pacheco scrambles in isolation around the space, emphasises his estrangement, distress, and loneliness.
Designer Jon Bausor’s angular, slanted replication of Gregor’s bedroom, provides a twisted canvas for projections and its furnishings become an integral part of the movement. Its own subtle movements adds to the increasing distortion of Gregor, and the perception of the audience, which is amplified by Helen Skiera’s atmospheric sound design, including soundscapes featuring whisperings and hidden conversations.
The solid connectivity of the five strong ensemble and the world constructed around them, makes for a deeply thoughtful and engaging performance. A must-see masterclass in the craft of bold physical theatre.
Runs at the Playhouse until 21tOctober 2023 and on tour until 2 March 2024.